Offensive Center ~ Mason Cole ~ Michigan Wolverines ~ 6040/308

Regarding Centers

I consider Centers prospectively far more crucial to their Teams's Prospects than most consider them to be.

The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...until The Only Games That Really Matter.

It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.

Having said that...Centers often find themselves in support rolls in Pass Blocking, rather than helping tear open holes up the middle or out to the flanks in the Run Game, because of the league's general persistence, in the 21st Century, in heavily accentuating the Passing Game. As such, the impact that Centers make on their team's fortunes seems destined to be considerably less than their potential. But my focus is on intrinsic value, even where that potential goes untapped.

This is how I break things down, when I'm evaluating Centers:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body Strength in the world will still fail if you simply can't dig in your Heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous Asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're lurching around like FrankenStein.

* Vertical Leverage. Height is crucial, but it's actually better, I believe, to be an Inch shorter than an Inch Taller.* Hands. The larger the better, generally, but compact is never a bad Attribute in The Trenches.* Arm Length. Absolutely crucial. He who boasts the longer Arms initiates Combat.* WingSpan. Arm Length + Torso Width. A more complete Measurement.

Run Blocking: 60. Shaky Power, but Field Vision and Motor make up for a lot. Best on a Zone Scheme Team, of course.

Pass Blocking: 60. Power's a problem, but Centers usually just help out, fortunately for him and his QuarterBack.

Mason Cole ~ Prospectus

Mason Cole is a classic example of a Trench Gorilla with mediocre Talent, but all sorts of Intangibles.

A few scraps of Talent, combined with a truckload of Intelligence and Drive, can go a long ways in this league.

I foresee'm as a Zone Scheme Team Center who'll lose his share of Battles but far less than you might expect, provided that he develops those Combat Skills as I expect'm to. He'll get the job done far more often than not.

Low Ceiling.

High Floor.

* And, yes: I considered'm more'f a Guard, last year, but upon further review, do embrace the general view'f'm as a Center.

Thank you so very much, Draft BreakDown, without whom my Work would be virtually impossible.

Yank Rank ~ Soldier ~ Par Value

Market Value

3rd/4th Round

Yankee Grade

3rd/4th Round

Please do Note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: This and all CyberScouting Reports issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women with even reasonable levels of intelligence or Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and Intelligence and Drive, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on making Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!

Please also note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: These CyberScouting Reports are not intended as predictions of success or failure, but as assessments ~ ludicrously amateurish assessments ~ of potential success. FootBall is a rough and often unfair business, and many a worthy Prospect has fallen far short of his potential, sometimes not because of his own failings, but because of those of coaching, scheme, timing...or because huge investments were made on other Prospects.

In other words: If any of my Super Dooper Deeper Sleepers ever fail to fulfill their vast potential, I’m confident that it goes without saying that it wasn’t their fault…or mine!!...Yes, I think that I'm being funny.

Offensive Guard ~ Mason Cole ~ Michigan Wolverines ~ 6045/304

Regarding Offensive Guards

I consider Offensive Guards far more crucial to their Teams's Prospects than most consider them to be.

The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...until The Only Games That Really Matter.

It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.

This is how I break things down, when I'm evaluating Offensive Guards:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body Strength in the world will still fail if you simply can't dig in your Heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous Asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're lurching around like FrankenStein.

* Vertical Leverage. Height is crucial, but it's actually better, I believe, to be an Inch shorter than an Inch Taller.* Hands. The larger the better, generally, but compact is never a bad Attribute in The Trenches.* Arm Length. Absolutely crucial. He who boasts the longer Arms initiates Combat.* WingSpan. Arm Length + Torso Width. A more complete Measurement.

Power: Impressive. Man, what a Difference a Year can make, as they say. Cole played Left Tackle for the entire 2014 and 2015 Campaigns before moving all the way inside to Center in 2016, so I expected see his functional Power take an enormous step backward in 2016, because his Vertical Leverage, advantageous to'm on the Flanks against Lions and Dragons, became a Liability in 2016, going against Grizzlies and Wolves...and I was dead wrong!!

Bubba's been working on'is Core Power.

Agility: Impressive. His Launch Velocity into'is Set in Pass Protection and into'is Surge in the Running Game is adept. His Fluidity to Mirror in Pass Protection or to change direction in the Running Game is likewise effective. His Acceleration, driving to the Flanks or DownField in the Running Game, on the other hand, is exceptional.

Frame: Mediocre. He's the Right Height for optimal Vertical Leverage at Offensive Guard ~ which is why I project him there despite his never having played there in College, of course ~ and I reserve the right to change my Grade if his Measurements at The Combine prove me wrong, but his WingSpan seems a bit short to me.

Combat Skills: Marginal. It seems to me that Cole still needs a lot of Work, here. His Command of Lateral Leverage seems mediocre, as he often failed to get Square with his Opponent, both on 2015 Tape and that of the current Campaign. His Paw Positioning is far better, and I'd give it a Competitive Grade at this point, as he's become far more consistent at attacking the Frame of'is Foe rather than the Perimeter. His Paw Persistence and FootWork, on the other hand, are marginal, as he all too frequently loses a Battle that he was winning, and lets his Foe get loose.

Processing Speed: Competitive as a 1st Year Offensive Center, which my Calculus tells me translates to Impressive, and that is indeed how I'd grade his 2015 Work at Left Tackle. He should improve with Time & Training.

Motor: Mediocre. Impressive Motor, but Marginal Endurance, from what I've seen so far.

Run Blocking: Competitive. There is tremendous Potential, here, as Cole's fusion of impressive and improving Power and exceptional Acceleration project to a potentially highly disruptive Force who could routinely Wreak Havoc behind Enemy Lines. He just needs to continue to develop his Combat Skills and Field Vision to unlock that Potential.

Pass Blocking: Marginal. Here, too, though, there is Potential, though far less so, I believe, because Cole's Fluidity to Mirror is far less dynamic than his Acceleration, and because his WingSpan looks short to me.

Mason Cole ~ Prospective Prospectus

Only a JackAss like myself would note that Mason Cole's played two full Seasons as Michigan's Left Tackle, will probably end up playing two full Seasons at Center ~ he's indicated that he's leaning towards staying in School in 2017 ~ and decide to project'm as an Offensive Guard!! Hah!! Hey, what can I say? Call me The Great Compromiser!!

Cole's an interesting Prospect, and an interesting Kid. I was especially intrigued by his comment in that Article that, while he is in fact planning on asking for a Grade from the Draft Advisory Board, it's because he wants their Evaluation on Aspects of his Game that he needs to improve on. I find that not only smart, but commendable.

I would certainly advise him to follow his current Thinking and go back for another Year, not only because he needs a lot of Work on his Combat Skills and improving his Processing Speed, but because both his comment and the dramatic Improvement I saw in his Power and Paw Positioning in 2016 indicate that he's both Intelligent and Driven enough to benefit, perhaps significantly, from another Year of Time & Training, even though at the wrong Position.

Right now, I see a lot of Potential in the Running Game and sufficient Potential in the Passing Game, and I see a lot of Flaws, so my Grade is not very high...But that may very well change dramatically in a Year.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!​

Yank Rank: Soldier ~ Par Value

Market Value

3rd/4th Round

Yankee Grade

3rd/4th Round

Please do Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women of Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!

This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!